Australian Senator David Van denies third sexual misconduct claim

Australia has been rocked by allegations of sexual misconduct against an opposition senator.

On Wednesday, Senator Lidia Thorpe accused David Van of sexual assault and harassment - claims he strongly denies, and that she later withdrew.

Mr Van was then removed from the Liberal party by leader Peter Dutton, who said other allegations had emerged.

Mr Van has now rejected a third woman's claim of inappropriate touching and says he is "shattered" by the claims.

Mr Dutton told 2GB radio that it would be in "everyone's best interest" for Mr Van to resign from parliament "sooner [rather] than later" and "seek the help that he needs".

In an extraordinary exchange in parliament on Wednesday, Ms Thorpe - an independent - interrupted a speech Mr Van was giving about an alleged rape case to accuse him of misconduct.

Mr Van immediately dismissed the allegations. "It is simply not true," he told the chamber.

Although Ms Thorpe later withdrew her claims in order to comply with parliamentary rules, she then announced she would address the issue further.

She went on to allege she was "cornered in a stairwell" by an unnamed male colleague. "As all women that have walked the corridors of this building know, it is not a safe place," she added.

Ms Thorpe also said she experienced "sexual comments, and was inappropriately propositioned by powerful men" when she first became a senator.

A day later, former Liberal Senator Amanda Stoker accused Mr Van of "squeezing my bottom twice" when they were colleagues three years ago.

"By its nature and by its repetition, it was not accidental. That action was not appropriate," Ms Stoker said in a statement, adding that Mr Van later apologised and said "he would never do it again".

Mr Van said he had "no recollection" of the incident, and that "it is not something I would ever do".
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